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A former marine has told how he saved 70 lives in the Orlando shooting by recognising immediately that Omar Mateen was intent on killing as many as possible and instinctively pushing people towards the exit.

Imran Yousuf, 24, served in Afghanistan and left the force last month, taking a job as a bouncer at Pulse. When he heard gunfire break out, he recognised it immediately.

The caller then said he had carried out the Pulse attack for the Islamic State and began speaking quickly in a foreign language.

“At the time, I didn’t know what he was saying,” said Mr Gentili. “He was speaking so fast. But he was speaking fluently. Whatever language he was speaking, he knew it. And he was speaking it very quickly. And that is when I said to him, ‘Sir. Please. Speak in English, please.'"

“I did it for ISIS,” the caller said, according to Mr Gentili.“I did it for the Islamic State.” When the TV producer asked the caller’s location, the man said it was “none of my ------- business,” Mr Gentili said. “It was silent for a while. I asked him: ‘Is there anything else you want to say?'” The man said no and hung up.

A federal grand jury was considering on Wednesday whether to charge Mateen’s second wife, Noor Salman, with accessory to murder. She went with Mateen to scout out Pulse and a Disney resort, and was reportedly with him when he bought ammunition. She is said to be cooperating with the FBI and has told them she tried to stop him.

On Tuesday the FBI searched a second gay club, Revere, after the owner Micah Bass said Mateen had attempted to befriend him on Facebook the week before the attack.

A couple covered with the US and the pride flag in Paris Credit:
EPA

The three-hour tragedy at Pulse would eventually become America’s worst-ever mass shooting, killing 49 people and leaving 53 injured.

"I wish I could've saved more," said Mr Yousuf, the marine, speaking to CBS. "There's a lot of people that are dead."

He wrote on Facebook that he “just reacted” to the gunfire.

“There are a lot of people naming me a hero and as a former Marine and Afghan veteran I honestly believe I reacted by instinct,” he wrote on Monday.

“I have lost a few of my friends that night which I am just finding out about right now. And while it might seem that my actions are heroic, I decided that the others around me needed to be saved as well and so I just reacted.”He said that he appreciated the support he has received, but stressed that people should focus on the victims’ families rather than him.

Mourners hold candles while observing a moment of silence during a vigilCredit:
AFP

On Wednesday the mayor of Orlando, Buddy Dyer, detailed services available for families at a camp set up in the Camping World Stadium, better known as the Citrus Bowl. Counselling, advice on funeral services, death certificates and free services such as flights will be available, said Mr Dyer.

On Thursday the Senate will be briefed by the FBI on events surrounding the massacre, following a briefing to Congress on Tuesday.